Environmental commitment

Projected Marine fuel terminal of Baltic Fuel Company is a facility of potential environmental impacts and risks associated with handling of oil products. Realistically assessing the effects of any imbalance, the project documents include the necessary measures aimed at avoiding negative impacts on the environment.

The BFC Group has created an environmental service unit which operates following the guidelines, schedules and programs approved by the environmental authorities. The BFC environmental service monitors the quality of air in the direction of the nearest residential area of St. Petersburg, carries out control of the quality of the water body in the area of the company's activity, assesses the performance of sewage and oily wastes treatment facilities.

Certified laboratories conduct seasonal studies of water quality in the area of BFC's activity, monitors discharges and pollutants emission into the environment, control of handling of commercial and household wastes.

The company provides services to vessels making calls at the seaport Big Port St. Petersburg (BPSPb) in line with regulations of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL, 1973), receiving oily bilge water, grey and blackwater and various kinds of debris. For several years, under a contract with "Rosmorport" BFC has been collecting wastes from ships that pay environmental fee at the seaport BPSPb. There are seven vessels of BFC involved in environmental operations: SLV-012, Zana, Scat, Seskar, OS-1, SB-633-1, Dagda. For the second year running the company has been providing environmental services in the ports of Lake Onega. The company plans to deploy in Lake Onega three garbage-collecting vessels in the waters of Lake Onega to improve environmental situation in the region. The company is set to expand its environmental service business in the port of Ust-Luga under the contracts with third-party organizations.

BFC has its own multistage oily waste water treatment facility GOS-1, which enables cleaning water to effective regulations. Reception and collection of oily waste can be carried out both from vessels and vehicles. KONTUR SPb LLC has an unlimited license for oily waste treatment (Hazard Classes 3-4, Series 78 No 00076) issued on Feb. 25, 2013 by the NW Federal District Department of Federal Service for Supervising Natural Resources.

The service provider has its own water-tank ship supplying potable water to ships calling at the seaport BPSPb (water supplied has all the necessary licenses and certificates).

The BFC Group's companies are engaged in business that is associated with possibility of emergencies, so the Group conducts annually special spill response exercises. The Group's units managers and specialists regularly undergo the environmental safety training and certification.

In the event of oil spill an Oil Spill Prevention and Response Plan (OSR) goes into effect in the area of responsibility of the Baltic Fuel Company Group. The OSR plan was developed in accordance with the current legislation and is compliant with the guidelines of all regulatory authorities, including Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM), Rosmorrechflot, FGU Sea Port Authority BPSPb, FSUE Baltic BASU, NWRC of EMERCOM, NW Dept. of RTN.

In line with the OSR plan the Group has formed two professional emergency teams that would respond to possible emergency spills (ERT) that are certified by EMERCOM's NW Regional Centre.

The ERTs and environmental fleet units, equipped with the necessary equipment for OSR are on 24/7 duty at seaports in the area of responsibility.

The environmental fleet is responsible for deployment and removal of contamination booms around tankers docking at berths for loading, environmental monitoring in the area of responsibility, etc.

The BFC Group's ERTs has state-of-the-art equipment for oil / oil products containment, elimination, collection and transportation from the world's leading manufacturers.

The BFC environmental fleet consists of 10 units, including an icebreaking tug, three vessels for collection of ship-generated waste and an oil skimmer.

The OSR plan's maximum allowed time for containment of an emergency spill does not exceed the effective standard of four hours. In the event of emergency oil spill outside the port area of responsibility the regional or federal OSR plan comes into effect. The regional / federal OSR plan is presented by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Baltic Basin Emergency Response & Salvage Department.